Proposal for a Mathematics Concentration Program for Heatherwood Elementary School From: The SIT Math/Science Sub-Committee Craig Johnson David Petroy Debra Ritzwoller Input from Mike Ritzwoller and many parents who participated in Heatherwood Mathletes in 2003-2004. June 1, 2004 A. Background and Primary Goal There is a ground-swell of interest in mathematical education expressed both at the District level in Boulder and more significantly within Heatherwood itself, by the the administration of the school and, in very strong terms and in multiple ways, by the parents. Evidence of parental interest can be seen in the math pull-outs by parents, in the creation of and broad participation in the Heatherwood Mathletes, in support for a mathematically oriented TAG coordinator, and in the hiring of a Math Coordinator and other personnel to support math instruction. We believe in order to optimize these efforts and build on them effectively that a comprehensive framework for advanced mathematics instruction is needed. We present a proposal here to develop this framework that we call the ``Mathematics Concentration Program''. The concept for the Program emerged from conversations that took place among parents at the Heatherwood Mathletes meetings. Some ideas were circulated in bullet-form by Mike Ritzwoller in March and April of 2004 and this proposal emerged from the responses. The central idea for the program is to set ambitious but achievable goals to advance mathematics instruction at Heatherwood with participation from the administration, the TAG coordinator, the teachers, mathematics instruction support personnel, and the parents. The goals we advocate are strategic -- that is they are driven by interest in long-term results -- and assessment oriented. Their purpose will be to help guide and define initiatives that emanate from the parents, but their fulfillment will require implementation by the teachers, the TAG coordinator, and other mathematics support personnel such as the Math Coordinator in the event such personnel are available. We propose a single defining goal as the basis for the Math Concentration Program: Students who elect to participate in the Program are provided a clearly defined path toward completion of math instruction two years above grade level by completion of the 5th grade. That is, families who elect to participate in the Math Concentration Program will aim for their children to have completed grade 7 math by the time they finish 5th grade at Heatherwood. The fulfillment of the goal will depend on the performance of the students. We discuss this further below. We recognize that the defining goal of the Math Concentration Program is not congruent with the primary mission of the school. Heatherwood is not a math focus school. As a neighborhood school it must provide educational opportunities for a broad spectrum of its community. We believe, however, that this Program does significantly intersect the school's primary mission. First, the program fits well with the School Improvement Plan for math; specifically to imrove the CSAP scores for both the general population and the TAG students. Second, we envision strong and broad interest in ambitious mathematical instruction within the Heatherwood Community. As evidence of this we site our experience that every well conceived math initiative presented to SIT/PTO or generally to the parents at Heatherwood has been embraced enthusiastically. The goal of the Program defines the intent of this proposal. The implementation of the program will require strenuous efforts on the part of all involved: the administration of the school, the teachers, the TAG coordinator, the Math Coordinator, and the parents. The remainder of the proposal will attempt to clarify our vision for the program and discuss some aspects of the implementation that are immediately apparent. In particular, we advocate for the immediate creation of a Math Concentration Program Steering Committee to begin to define the Program and develop an Implementation Plan. The committee should be chaired by the Principal with membership including teachers and parents. We believe the committee initially should include at least three parents, two teachers, and the TAG and Math Coordinators. B. Guidelines in Defining and Implementing the Program We propose five signature guidelines that together should be invoked in implementing the program. + The purpose of the program will be to engage the natural love of mathematics possessed by many students by challenging the students not only to master the math curriculum appropriate to their age and general grade level but to extend their knowledge beyond the grade level and outside the standard curriculum where appropriate. + The program will be purely voluntary. + The program will be open to all students. Participation will be based on interest, not on ``aptitude''. + The math grade level of the students will be determined by ``proficiency''. The standards to be invoked still need to be determined, but we envision them to be based on reports from teachers, the TAG coordinator (when appropriate), and regular, perhaps semi-annual tests. + It is not the intent of the program to accelerate the student's general grade level, but to provide instruction commensurate with his or her ability to learn and perform mathematics. C. Positive Impacts of the Program We believe that the Program will have a significant, positive impact on the learning environment of the school. Aspects of this are included on the following list. + It responds to the BVSD and Heatherwood administration, faculty, and parental desire for general advancement towards excellence in math education. + It will help Heatherwood achieve the math goals outlined in the School Improvement Plan, all of which relate to improving performance on objective assessment tests for both the general population and for the TAG students. It should be remembered that 5th grade CSAP math scores for Heatherwood TAG students are below those for the general population at Bear Creek and High Peaks schools. The scores for the general population at Heatherwood are well below those at some comparable schools lacking a math focus, such as Douglas, Superior, and Flat Irons. + The Program pursues general educational enrichment. It integrates parent, teacher, administration, and staff activities on a well defined common goal that has emanated from the school itself, and not imposed from above. + It responds to increased globalization. Our children's skills need to be assessed in the context of intellectual skills globally, not just within the school, school district, or state. The TIMSS studies highlight mathematics as a key area in which US children lag children internationally. + Importantly, the program will become a defining characteristic of Heatherwood School. It will be an educational opportunity that should attract more students to open-enroll and retain students whose parents may have sought other opportunities elsewhere in the past (e.g., at Douglas and other schools that historically have been a magnet for academically-minded parents in the Heatherwood region). + The Program should also assist with the development of school-wide formal assessments called for in the School Improvement Plan. D. Some Requirements A number of requirements appear to be necessary to facilitate the program and ensure its success. + Although parents should be able to enter their children in the program at any grade level, the program would ideally begin when children start the second grade. This would provide the opportunity for informed input from first grade teachers as to the appropriate mathematics grade level of the child and also for giving an achievement test near the end of first grade level to interested students. First grade teachers should be encouraged to identify students with a strong interest in mathematics and introduce the option of the Program to parents. Advancement into the second grade curriculum during first grade for mathematically inclined students will help them move seamlessly into the program in second grade. Enrollment at a higher grade level would also be encouraged, but the later the child enrolls the harder it will be to achieve to goal of completion of the 7th grade curriculum by the end of 5th grade. + Students in the program will be placed in a mathematics class at the level of their math proficiency. + To ensure that children can attend the math class at their level, all math classes should be offered at the same time of day and on the same days of the week throughout the school. This will allow children to move to the appropriate classroom for their math class. + A 5+ class will need to be created for students who place beyond the standard grade 5 level. It will be necessary to coordinate the 5+ curriculum with the 6th grade curriculum at Platt or another Middle School. + Eventually, a similar 5++ class will need to be created to offer the 7th grade curriculum, and this will have to be coordinated with Platt. Alternately, children will have to be bussed to Platt or another Middle School if instruction at the 5++ level can't be provided at Heatherwood. + Students in the program should be actively encouraged to participate in mathematics enhancement activities such as Heatherwood Mathletes. Additional opportunities may need to be discovered or developed and brought to the student's attention as appropriate. + Involvement in the program will require strong participation and support from the parents. Parental support mechanisms should be sought to help guide work-at-home activities. An in-school component of the Heatherwood Mathletes would be one of these mechanisms. + Particularly at the lower-pod level, math pull-outs by motivated parents to provide math enrichment should be encouraged and coordinated by the Math Concentration Program Steering Committee. E. Impact on the School: Facilities and Personnel The Program should be implemented to have a minimal impact on the facilities and personnel of Heatherwood. There is no way to implement it without some impact. Several issues in particular are worth considering. First, the aim is for instruction beyond grade level to be available for all the students in the Program whose proficiency level warrants it. Where and how will this instruction be offered? There appear to be two alternatives. One would be for instruction to occur within the child's normal classroom. This does not appear to be feasible to us. Although, in principle, teachers are supposed to be able to provide instruction two years beyond grade level, this would be difficult in practice. The other alternative is for children to be advanced to the math class at the grade level of their proficiency. This sees preferable to us. The impact will be on scheduling and moving the students between classes, and there will be much less of an impact on teacher preparation. Second, students who require instruction up through grade 5 can be accommodated in the regular classes. How will instruction be provided for students who place at the 6th and 7th grade levels? Again, there are two possible models. The first is to hire a highly motivated and well-trained person or persons to provide instruction past the standard grade 5 level. In principle, this could be both at the 5+ (or 6th grade) and 5++ (or 7th grade) levels. This would require close curricular coordination with Platt or another Middle School. The second option would be bussing children to Platt or another Middle School. We believe that the first alternative is preferable, particularly at the 5+ level, as it would only minimally disrupt the students' school day. It would, however, require funding and qualified personnel, either of which may not exist in a particular school year. We believe strongly that the success of the Math Concentration Program should not hinge on the existence of 5+ or 5++ level classes at Heatherwood. These classes should be pursued when feasible, but the Platt alternative should be pursued if funding or a fully qualified person is not found to teach these classes. Third, there should be no doubt that the Math Concentration Program would benefit from oversight by a dedicated Math Coordinator. We see the growth of the Math Concentration Program as another example of how a Math Coordinator would benefit the school. Again, however, due to uncertainties in identifying and funding such personnel, we do not believe that the Program should hinge on finding someone to lead it. In the absence of a Math Coordinator to oversee the Program, the Steering Committee will have to provide this oversight. Nevertheless, we believe strongly that the Steering Committee should work with the BVSD and the PTO to attract long-term funding for this position. Fourth, there will be the need to identify and administer appropriate assessments, develop placement criteria, and augment teaching materials as needed. This will need to be taken up by the Program Steering Committee at the outset of the Program and form much of the Implementation Plan. We recognize that the Program will suffer growing pains at its outset -- effects that with will and work will die away in the long run -- but may not be foreseen. Consequently, the program will need to start up slowly and grow with time. To improve our ability to foresee potential problems, members of the Program Steering Committee should interview other schools such as Coal Creek and and Bear Creek Schools that have experience with accelerated curricula. F. What is Meant by ``Proficiency'' Level and How Will It Be Assessed? The basic idea of the Program is to offer instruction to each student in the Program based on his or her proficiency, in contrast with his or her aptitude. But, what is meant by proficiency and how will it be assessed? It is easier to answer what we mean by proficiency; basically how much math the child knows and is able to demonstrate. This would not be assessed with an intelligence test, but with a math test. We would prefer if the test would be a national or international test that would provide information about the child's level of math proficiency relative to a variable grade level cohort. If we want to determine the grade level of the child, the child should be tested two years beyond their current grade level. In the Implementation Plan, the Program Steering Committee will need to identify a set of relevant tests and make a recommendation for their use. G. Assessment of the Program The key assessment criterion for interest in the Program will be the number of students who are participating. We have an initial goal of 10% of the applicable student body (2nd - 5th graders) to participate, and grow to about 20% over time. To determine the effectiveness of the Program, the number of students performing well beyond grade level should be the primary indicator. This will be determined by the annual or semi-annual proficiency tests. The performance of students on aggregate and individually can be tracked over time. Another indicator will be performance on the CSAP tests, particularly the number of students scoring in the Advanced category. Finally, the number of students in extracurricular mathematics activities, such as the Mathletes Club, and participation and performance by students in the Club assessments and the Math Olympiad or similar competitions, all provide information about the health and status of the Program. H. Management Structure The program will be overseen by the Math Concentration Program Steering Committee which will be headed by the Principal. We suggest that it consist of two teachers, the Math Coordinator, the TAG coordinator, and three parents. I. Moving Forward With the Proposal FLESH THIS OUT ON SUNDAY. Summer 2004: Formation of the Math Concentration Program Steering Committee. Development of an Implementation Plan. Fall 2004: Formal beginning of the Program. Announcment of Opportunity to the parents.